Lairg Things to Do

I have two children under the age of 5 and am always looking for new places to take them in the Highlands of Scotland.I heard from a friend about a new play centre in Lairg called Wee Beasties and decided to take them there to see what it was like..well...what a gem.It has everything you could want for your children including a bouncy castle,...

The Ferry Croft Countryside Centre looked very new when we first approached it. My thoughts were right the old centre built in 1994 had been given a complete revamp and the results were splendid. We really enjoyed the visual and hands on activities which show the history of Lairg from its beginnings up to the present day. They also had very...

There are fifteen forest walks in Sutherland, we chose the lovely Achany Glen Forest. The day had been hot and the dogs needed a walk and we needed some shade. The forest provided both perfectly. The walk takes you through fragrant pine, spruce and beach trees. It then leads into mixed broadleaf trees including hazel, rowan and ash. We both laughed...

Little Loch Shin was created when the Hydro Electric Board built a dam across a stretch of the much larger Loch Shin, which is Sutherland's largest loch and stretches around for seventeen miles. The dam built in 1957 raised the water levels by thirty feet and provided the first electricity for much of this part of the Highlands. It is a very pretty...

There are two Churches in Lairg, the Church of Scotland and the Free Church. The graveyard is set outside the village and shared between the two congregations. What surprised me was the Mausoleum, so large I had spotted it from the car. We felt compelled to stop and see who was so great and good in this tiny corner of Sutherland. It turned out this...

I had expected to be scrambling along a steep river bank to see these falls as I have at others. What a good idea to create a path of wide steps suitable for prams and wheelchairs making access easy for all visitors. The walk down was very pleasant with trees all around. At the bottom you then reach the viewing platform, it wasn't busy while we...

Rosehall's little Parish Church became a landmark place for us as we travelled to the west coast of Sutherland. A very small and remote community twenty seven miles from Lairg and still some more to go before you reach the stunning wilds of the west coast. This little Church probably built in the eighteenth century looked a bit out of place with...

The Falls of Shin Visitors Centre is the only place in Sutherland where you will see people arriving in great numbers. Don't be put off by this, the crowds are mostly made up by the tour buses which have to negotiate the single track road which leads here, so are well timed to never meet each other on the road. Because of this their visits only...

The Village of Lairg is known as 'Crois Rathaid aig Tuath' - 'The Crossroads of the North'. It sits pretty much in the centre of Sutherland. No where in this area is all that close to anywhere else but we found it a great little place to stay and a perfect place to tour either the east or the west coast. Back in 1807 Lairg was just a tiny hamlet...

Lairg Restaurants

We had been touring the far north west coast visiting Scourie and Inverbervie, the Overscaig Hotel was on the road back. What a perfect place to enjoy an early supper. We were hungry, hot and tired when we arrived and asked if they were serving dinner and could we walk the dogs here. Dinner would be served in around half an hour he then suggested...

I did wonder where to put this tip, after all you encounter here it could be a restaurant, shop or things to do. Where else could you have a quite seat outside in the sunshine watching the many birds feed from the bird feeders in perfect peace and tranquility, listening to their lovely songs. What a serene spot to stop by with lovely woodland even...

Lairg Nightlife

What better way to relax and end your day just watching your surroundings. There was a little field across the road from us and we often watched the two men working there. One evening we watched as they completed the job of bringing in the harvest. With a cheery wave they anounced that they were off for a pint which they richly deserved. We settled...

If you are a night owl you may be starved of prey, there is no real nightlife just quiet places to ponder your day and the next days' adventure far away from any city lights. . No nightclubs, or cinemas or anything else to hold your attention. The lack of nightlife didn't bother us at all we where not here to trip the light fantastic. The Nip Inn...

One our first night we thought we would check out the local action. There was only one option open to us - this was the Invershin Hotel. Nothing ventured nothing gained, it was eleven miles to Lairg and this place was a little nearer to where we were staying. The place did look a bit deserted, the almost empty car park should have given us a clue,...

Lairg Transportation

There is only one road leading from Inverness to this part of Sutherland, it is the famous B9176 which seems to climb up Struie Hill forever. While we were driving to get to Lairg it was raining and as the car climbed ever higher feelings of dread overcame me. Many many years ago we had driven this road to holiday at Embo, travelling in an old Ford...

You can travel to Lairg from Inverness. Trains run three times a day for arrivals and three trains for departures. Please note the station is unmanned and it is a request stop, tickets are available to buy on board the train. You can also travel further north east from here to Wick and Thurso. Single fare from Inverness is £12.70 there is a slight...

Lairg Shopping

Who would have thought you could bump into Mohamed Al Fayed in the wilds of Sutherland. Here he is kilted out and ready to take his dog for a walk or maybe more likely a stalk. He owns the nearby Balnagown Estate as a country retreat so why not have a wax work courtesy of Madam Tussaud's. He has even brought a little bit of Knightsbridge with him...

The Sutherland Sporting Company is my kind of place to unfold their garments to have a peek at the price tags and wonder if they have put the decimal point at the wrong digit. Invariably an assistant will creep up behind you and reinstate your destruction. I didn't dare take a photo here, I really think they would have thrown me out, but I'm sure...

Lairg Sports & Outdoors

River and Loch fishing make up a large part of the economy in Sutherland. It is worth £3.73 million per year and supports eighty six full time jobs. Notices were obvious in many areas warning of Gyrodactylus salaris, a small parasite which has killed numerous fish in Europe. Careful steps have been taken here to ensure it doesn't enter Scottish waters. If you have recently been fishing abroad you will not be allowed to use your fishing equipment here. All fishers must sign a declaration stating where they last fished. Fishing is by permit only and these can be obtained from local hotels or post offices. Angling for salmon, sea trout and brown trout is by fly fishing only. Most fishing is 'catch and release' this all helps to preserve stocks. Many of the country house hotels and the sporting estates offer holiday breaks which cater well for fishing folk.

Equipment:
You will need a salmon rod, various flies, a net as well as waterproof clothing. If you are river fishing you will also require waist high wadders.

Additional Travel Editors

Experience Lairg

Top Lairg Writer

We stayed a little way out from Lairg at Invershin but the little village soon felt like home. It was here we shopped for everyday things. We drove through the village many times and visited the local...